Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	church_n	power_n	society_n	1,162	5	9.1993	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49314	A discourse concerning the nature of man both in his natural and political capacity, both as he is a rational creature and member of a civil society : with an examination of Mr. Hobbs's opinions relating hereunto / by Ja. Lowde ...	Lowde, James.	1694 (1694)	Wing L3299; ESTC R36487	110,040	272

Enemies could invent yet that they did not feel so much pain as mere sensual Men might imagine if we consider the intenseness of their Thoughts then set on the Ioys above and also the more plentiful effusions of the Divine Grace strengthening and assisting them so that they seemed rather pleasantly to enjoy than painfully to undergo the flames CHAP. VI. Religion the best Foundation of Civil Government With an Examination of some of Machiavel's Opinions relating hereunto IF we consider the Nature of Religion in general how that it is that Order and Constitution of things in the World whereby all rational Agents either do or at least are bound to act in observation of those mutual Respects they bear to God themselves and others how that it is that great instrument of Providence in the World for the management of the most considerable Affairs thereof And what some Philosophers have asserted of the Soul of the Universe may be very well applyed to Religion in respect of the rational World that it ties each part to it self and to one another and disposes of every thing for the Good and Advantage of the whole and of every part This consider'd it is impossible but that Religion should have a very good and benign influence upon all publick Societies these being the most considerable Bodies of the Universe And this the very Enemies of Religion acknowledge in their most malicious scandals and reproaches that are cast upon it viz. when they tell us That Religion is nothing but a meer politick Device and Contrivance of Princes by which they might better govern their Subjects and awe them into obedience but this as most Errours are is founded in a certain Truth and though it be a false scandal cast upon Religion yet it supposes this undeniable Verity That Religion is not only consistent with but also highly promotive of the Ends of Government Now the consistency of Religion with Government in general will appear from these following Considerations 1. Religion in the true and sincere Exercise of it is the only Means appointed by God for the attaining of eternal Happiness now one great end of God's instituting a Government in the World was to put Men into a better capacity of performing their Duty towards God themselves and others These things being first granted which I think also are sufficiently plain and evident in themselves it is impossible that Religion should be inconsistent with or destructive of Government seeing these two are made joint means in order to one common end of humane Happiness Thus God sent us into the World that by Holiness we should arrive at Happiness and he has appointed a Government over us that under it we should lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty therefore these two Religion and Government are certainly consistent with each other otherwise it would charge God with Folly and Imprudence by designing to bring about an end by incosistent means 2. Though Government in general be subordinate to Religion in reference to the ultimate End eternal Happiness yet the Church and the Affairs of Religion in reference to its private Power and Authority is subordinate in a great measure to the State Thus we say that the Church is in the State and not the State in the Church But now this is not an essential but only an accidental Subordination that is such an one as depends upon Divine positive Institution for if God had so pleased he might have made the State inferiour to the Church in all things as he hath made the Church subject to the State in most Now if we may venture to give a Reason of the Divine Institution it may seem to be this That God seeing how much it was for the Interest of the State to provide for and secure the Affairs of Religion hath therefore subjected the Church in most things always excepting those spiritual Priviledges and Peculiarities belonging to the Church which I always suppose sacred and inviolable to the Power of the civil Government for it is not probable that God would thus have committed his Church to which he always bore such a tender regard to the care and charge of the State if it were as our Adversaries suppose so much for the Interest of the State to violate the Laws of the Church and of Religion But now particularly Religion lays the best foundation of Government these four ways 1. By asserting the Original of Civil Power to be truly Divine 2. By shewing the Religious Obligation of an Oath and founding Obedience neither in Fear nor Interest but in Conscience 3. By correcting and confuting all those false Opinions and Principles which are so destructive of all humane Societies and civil Obedience 4. By removing all those Lusts and Passions out of the Minds of Men which are the great Incendiaries of the World and Fomenters of War and Discord 1. Religion does the best secure Government by asserting the Original of civil Power to be truly Divine Here I shall not restrain my Assertion to Monarchy only but extend it also to all regular and well-settled Governments Though I think that Monarchy has a great advantage in its Plea for a more particular Divine Institution so far as Example and primitive Practice can give any right thereto nor do I here assert That all Monarchies in their original Constitution were absolute or however there was no necessity that they should be so Some indeed say That whatever Restrictions or Limitations have been since introduced into some Governments yet from the beginning it was not so these were the Encroachments of after Ages and the Peoples usurping upon the Prerogative or else the Grants and Concessions of good-natur'd Princes But this I think is rather barely asserted than positively proved yet will it not follow hence that the People are the original Proprietors of all civil Power What our Saviour said to Pilate Ioh. 19. 11. Thou could'st have no power over me except it were given thee from above the same we may say of the People that suppose but not granting that they had such a Power as some imagine yet they could not have it of themselves they must either mediately or immediately derive it from God so that they giving this Power to the King the Power will be still truly Divine though it be convey'd through the People as thro' a Conduit But then to what purpose should we suppose such a needless circuit in the proceedings of Divine Providence Why might not God give it more immediately himself seeing this is as easily conceivable attended with fewer Inconveniencies and more promotive of the Ends of Government than the other Thus Mr. Hobbs no less falsly than impiously tells us That God created Man in such an ill-condition'd State of Nature not that he design'd him to continue in it but that he might mend himself by his own Prudence by getting out of it as soon as he could And Grotius seems to be much what

the Being of God is not to be proved either by any Original Tradition or by any Natural Impressions made upon Men's Minds but only by external Arguments drawn from the Nature of things and from the Nature of Man that is from the consideration of his Soul and Body not supposing or including any such Natural Notices I do not here go about to oppose any Arguments brought to support and defend the Cause of God and Religion in the World Valeant quantùm valere possunt Only when their Authors would monopolize all the force of Argument to their own way of arguing and absolutely reject all the rest this I think is to give our Adversaries advantage over us Thus that Ingenious Gentleman Mr. Tyrrell in his late Book p. 197. tells us That the knowledge of the Being of God is clearly and without difficulty to be read from the great Book of the Creation without any assistance from natural Impressions and he cites Rom. 1. 19 20. Because that which is known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his Eternal Power and Godhead Where he says The Apostle appeals to the common reason of Mankind guided by things without us for the proof of a Deity But it doth not appear from hence that he draws his Argument meerly from things without us for the 19th Verse seems as clearly to relate to those inward Impressions made upon our Minds as the 20th doth to the outward Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is manifest in them I know that Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes render'd inter but when the proper and natural signification of words may be kept why should we look for another For the invisible things of him from the Creation By Creation here is neither meant the things created nor the Act of Creation but only it relates to the time thereof From the Creation that is ever since the Creation by which says Dr. Hammond it appears That there is no necessity of interpreting God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Doings or Actions here of the Works of Creation that is solely but of all things that from time to time to this inclusively have been done in the World by him and so it will be extended to all the Doctrines and Miracles and Actions of Christ the whole business of the Gospel Nay I may add that even those natural Impressions upon the Minds of Men may be meant by God's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here mention'd Even his Eternal Power and Godhead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first may refer to his Omnipotence in Creating the Material World The other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the more Divine Constitution of Spiritual and Intellectual Beings CHAP. V. Of the State of Nature that it is neither a State of Equality nor a State of War I Shall here by way of Introduction to this Chapter briefly take notice of what Mr. Hobbs tells us in Chap. 4. of his Leviathan concerning Speech and the particular uses of it viz. that it is for the acquiring of Arts and the improvement of Knowledge to convey to others that skill which we have attain'd to our selves and to communicate to them our Counsels and Resolutions that so we may have the mutual help and advice of one another but now how can these Uses be applyed to that cross-grain'd state of Nature which he has describ'd to be nothing but a State of Fraud and Violence What place is there for Arts and Sciences What room for friendly counsel and kind advice in a state where all are Enemies to one another where what counsel we give to others ought rather in reason to be suspected seeing therein we design nothing but our own advantage Why should we desire or hope for the assistance of others seeing there we design nothing but by force or fraud to supplant all we deal with and by degrees to draw 'em into their own ruine Now Speech must be suppos'd in the State of Nature for without it he tells us there could be no entering into Societies no Compacts no transferring of Rights per verba in praesenti In the same Chapter also he tells us how necessary it is for those who aspire to knowledge to be strict in fixing the true sense of Words and framing true Definitions in examining those of former Authors and either to correct 'em when deficient or to make new ones themselves Therefore he says in Geometry which is the most accurate Science Men begin with setling the significations of their words which setling of Significations they call Definitions and place 'em at the beginning of their work Now it had been well if Mr. Hobbs had practis'd his own rule and that in one of the most considerable Instances of his Moral Philosophy that is if he had at first given us a perfect definition of that word so oft made use of in his Writings Nature and had fix'd the Significations of those Expressions Naturally and by Nature Which he could not well have done without distinguishing it into pure and primitive and into corrupt and depraved Nature Which he having no where done it has occasion'd a great deal of obscurity and uncertainty in all his Discourses relating thereunto which if he had done in all probability it would have put an end to many of those Controversies which were perhaps at first begun and afterwards continued by the want of it 'T is true he has given us several Senses and Acceptations of these words but yet has been so far from setling and fixing their Significations as he calls it that he has rather left them still in greater uncertainty especially in those other places where they are mentioned singly without any intimation at all in what sense they are to be taken In his Preface to his Book de Cive where 't is objected that from his Principles it would follow that Men are wicked by Nature This he says does not follow for though Men by Nature that is from their first Birth as they are meer sensible Creatures c. Here Nature must signifie Man as he comes first into the World with respect meerly to his Animal Qualisications which he has in common with other Creatures In the same Preface forasmuch as God over-rules all Rulers by Nature that is by the dictates of Natural Reason here Nature seems to refer rather to the higher than the lower Faculties of the Soul Chap. 1. Paragraph 2. if by Nature one Man should love another that is as Man here Nature seems to refer to Man in his largest extent The Law of Nature he thus defines that it is the dictate of Natural Reason conversant about those things which are either to be done or omitted for the constant preservation of our Life and Members as much as in us lies Here he makes Natural Reason to truckle